Sailboat Race Course Design & Management App since 2009

Race Officers and Regatta Managers around the world use ezTrap

ezTrap Details

ezTrap is a Microsoft Excel®-based PC
application
that enables sailboat Race Officers anywhere in the world to
quickly design and set
accurate race courses, especially Trapezoid
courses.

ezTrap v17 is the latest release of this unique
software product, which is currently being used in 14-countries in
both hemispheres:
Australia, Canada, England, Finland, Indonesia, Mexico, The Netherlands,
Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Thailand, USA, and Wales.

Short Design Time: In sailboat racing, time is a
critical success factor for setting and changing the course. Once the RC
Signals Boat is in position and the Wind Direction determined, an
ezTrap course can be designed or changed within seconds
to meet the Target Race Time. The complexities of
designing Trapezoid and other courses are minimized.

Accuracy and Precision: ezTrap was built using
Microsoft Excel®, which accurately calculates Latitudes and
Longitudes (using spherical trigonometry), leg lengths, angles,
times, etc.
to a very high precision. Using simple Input Values, ezTrap
instantly makes the complex calculations and displays the results.
ezTrap has
been validated to be accurate and precise; for example, Latitudes
and Longitudes are displayed to the nearest 0.001' or about 6-10
feet.

Faster Set-up and Change Time: Again, time is of
the essence when setting or changing a course. ezTrap not only
provides Range and Bearings to/from each Mark it also provides Latitudes & Longitudes, allowing Mark Boats (equipped with GPS) to quickly find the proper mark position. Further, multiple marks can be set (or reset) concurrently.
The Range and Bearing information can also be useful for ROs and/or Mark
Setters with hand-held compasses; however, the real-world results
are considerably less accurate than with GPS. Expect to save
15-20min or more per set-up or change of a typical Trapezoid race
course.

Optimization: ezTrap provides several
embedded algorithms
that automatically optimize characteristics of the race course
including calculation of the ideal W/L and Reach leg lengths to
meet the Target Race Times and desired fleet spacing of multiple
fleets.

Uniform High Quality: The essential geometry of ezTrap courses are predefined to international standards, and repeatable
anywhere in the World to meet consistent high quality expectations.

Flexibility: Numerous Input Values are available for
designing (and tweaking) most ezTrap courses to meet the capabilities of the fleet(s), racing conditions, Target Race Times, RC/mark boat resources,
and objectives of the RO.

Confidence: ezTrap greatly reduces the likelihood of human error and provides a high-degree of confidence in the squareness, integrity, and high quality of the course, which is especially important for championship racing.

Course Families

ezTrap v17 supports 14-different courses with a
total of 32-variations. Please click on any of the families below to get more information
and to see detailed examples.

Does your Yacht Club use fixed marks or buoys for racing? If so, try
the Club DIY course.

About the Developer: Ed Bottrell is a life-long boater with keelboat racing and cruising experience in the Great Lakes, South Pacific, and Atlantic Canada. He has been a part of the race management of numerous local, regional, national and international regattas for dinghies, keelboats, and ocean racers. He is a former
Sail Canada Senior Instructor-Evaluator for the Cruising & Power Boat Programs, and
a Coastal Navigation and Marine Radio Instructor. Ed has a BSIE degree in industrial and systems engineering from Kettering University, Flint, MI, and has held professional certifications in management consulting, project management, and information systems. Ed is retired and lives with his wife Hazel
in the St. Margaret’s Bay area, Nova Scotia, Canada.